Peace and Sanity
by Retta Mac
Summary: Just a fluffy oneshot that visited me while watching an episode of Criminal Minds. It involves Spencer Reid and an OC of my own. The subject is nightmares. The story is better than the summary.


**A/N: I know I should be working on my existing stories; but I was watching Criminal Minds and this plot kept floating around and so here it is. This is my first oneshot and also my first fic for CM so review and let me know what you think.**

To say I worried about him was an understatement. His job took him away from me a lot, but he had a good team backing him up. When he was gone, sometimes I would lie awake staring at the ceiling unable to sleep with worry. When he would come home from a case, relief replaced the worry. The frown would become a beaming smile and I would launch myself into his arms; savoring his embrace, inhaling his comforting scent; thanking God for bringing him back to me safely.

In his arms he brought me a sense of safety, security. And when he held me I knew it was right where I needed to be. When I told him how he made me feel, he gaped at me. For the first time in my life the genius I loved was at a loss for words and didn't have an answer.

He stammered about how he wasn't the person who was supposed to evoke a sense of security. He had said that Morgan was the type who made people feel safe, not him. I had rolled my eyes at his response and took his adorable face in my hands; repeating myself as I met his warm amber eyes and he didn't object a second time.

He had always had nightmares as long as I had known him. They had started when he began working for the FBI; it was always about the cases. Over time the nightmares got worse. I didn't know to do anything other than hold him, assure him that everything would be okay. It wasn't until after a particularly bad dream that he was able to render me speechless.

}----{

He had just got him from a case in Indiana, a pretty bad one and he hadn't wanted to talk about it. So we had gone to the park and just spent the day together, talking about mellow neutral events and whet we were going to do when he finally got some vacation time. Settling down for bed he always fell asleep before I did. Closing the book I had been reading and turning off the light, I nestled into his side.

Just as I was drifting off into unconsciousness. All of a sudden he gave a violent jerk and sat up with a shout. He shook his head to clear the cobwebs. When he remembered where he was he looked back at me and reached for me.

I sat up and moved to sit in front of him, one hand on his ribcage and the other cupped his face.

"Tobias?" I questioned, meeting his eyes in the moonlight that streamed through the bedroom window.

"No, it was the case we just got back from. I didn't want to talk about it because one of the victims looked a lot like you. When I was dreaming it was a recreation of the case. Morgan handed me some crime scene photos and the first victim wasn't her… it was you." He answered, placing his hand over mine and then trailing it down my arms to rest in the crook of my elbow.

"Baby, I'm right here; and I'm not going anywhere for a long time. I'm safe, with you… when you're here that's all I can be. Lovie, it was just a nightmare." I replied, moving my hand from his cheek to his neck.

He looked down at me with warm brown eyes turned black in the darkness. Love and relief were written on his handsome features and. Without a word he ducked his head for a chaste kiss before he pulled me into his lap, kissing the top of my head as he held me close and buried his face in my hair. "Marley, I thank God for the day that you walked into my life. You say I make you feel safe and loved; but you give me peace and keep me sane.

Twining my fingers in his shoulder length brown hair, I just sat in his embrace… saving it for when he was gone so I could imagine him holding me so I might get some sleep. I'm not sure how long we sat in each other's arms but he finally pulled back, caressing my jaw line with his thumb. Reaching up I tucked a stray hair behind his ear as he leaned forward and kissed my nose. As we lay back down, he held me close and whispered into my ear. "I love you more than anything Marley Corbin."

"I love you too Spencer Reid, I'll always love you." I whispered back, tucking my head under his chin. As I was drifting off to sleep I felt him place a kiss to my hair and pull me closer. It was possibly the first time of beating Reid to dreamland.

Fin


End file.
